


worst kept secret

by arcanelarry



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Bachelor AU, Based on a TV show, Coming Out, F/F, Fluff, Girl Direction, Kissing, One Shot, Sappy, Useless Lesbians
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-15
Updated: 2020-11-15
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:00:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27568663
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arcanelarry/pseuds/arcanelarry
Summary: It’s fine though. Great, really. She gets a free vacation, she’ll maybe even get a few roses, and then be sent home with plenty of ABC money in her pocket. Of course, things are never that simple.Or, Louis is a lesbian who ends up on the Bachelor. Harry complicates things.
Relationships: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson
Kudos: 22





	worst kept secret

**Author's Note:**

> This work was originally for a writing assignment so I made some tweaks to fit with Louis and Harry (in a Girl Direction verse, of course). This fic is a little rushed; I wasn't even gonna post it as it's quite short but I figured maybe someone out there wants a Bachelor AU so here. You don't need to know a lot about the Bachelor (I certainly don't) so as long as you kinda know about it, you're good.  
> I hope you enjoy and if you do, please leave kudos/a comment!

It all started as a joke. Louis’ friends thought it’d be funny to apply her for The Bachelor, despite being extremely lesbian. They submitted an application, complete with boring photos and even more boring answers. Within days, she received an email informing her that she’s been phased to the next stage of casting. Months later, she’s on a flight to begin taping.

It’s fine though. Great, really. She gets a free vacation, she’ll maybe even get a few roses, and then be sent home with plenty of ABC money in her pocket. Of course, things are never that simple.

\-----

Upon arriving at LAX, Louis’ greeted by a bodyguard who looks like he belongs on Air Force One. He’s kind though, and directs Louis towards the car that will drive her to the Agoura Hills Bachelor house. It all seems too fancy, and for a moment Louis feels guilty; she feels like she’s using these people. She quickly remembers how ridiculous this show is and is assured.

There’s one other girl in the limousine. She juts her hand out saying, “Hi! I’m Harry.” Suddenly Louis’ noticing every feature on this Harry girl, from her curled brown hair to her glassy green eyes. Her fingers are covered in rings that she’s nervously playing with. She’s got this aura about her too, like she’s bubbly and still kind, fun but still down-to-earth. She’s everything Louis likes wrapped into one person; she’s only known her for a minute.

Louis snaps out of her Harry-induced haze and realizes Harry’s still holding out her hand to shake. Louis takes her hand and sheepishly replies, “I’m Louis, I’m still a bit out of it.”

Harry nods her head like she gets it. As the limo begins to pull away, Louis and Harry talk about their lives back home.

“I live in New York, but I grew up in Ohio,” Harry started. “When I graduated high school, I got out as soon as I could. I loved it there, but after a while the same five restaurants get pretty boring; it was a really small town.” Louis hummed in agreement, having also been raised in a small town. They talked about their hometowns and current lives for the rest of the drive, not stopping until the car was parked and the driver opened their doors.

The house was amazing, covered in flora and fauna and lit up so beautifully. There was some chatter inside, and the driver led the two girls to the door. They stepped inside and were amazed. They’d seen it on TV, sure, but their small apartments could never compare to a house of this size and elegance. They’re given a few minutes to mill about and chat before they’re called to the main room for the final run-down.

Chris Harrison and the production team spend a few hours talking about rules and expectations. When they bring up the fantasy suite, Louis shifts uncomfortably at just the mere thought of it. They’ll begin filming tomorrow when they reenact their arrival.

\-----

They’re a week into filming when Louis discovers a camera-less area. It’s a tiny storage room filled with cob-webs and garden tools caked with dirt. She can’t stand all the way up in the room, and she can’t sit with legs completely outstretched. That doesn’t matter though, because it’s the one place where she can cry, pick her nose, or just think without being filmed. She keeps this slice of heaven to herself. It sits on the edge of the property, hidden and unassuming. Much like Louis on this show.

It was supposed to be so easy, Louis was supposed to be on the show for a few weeks, collect her check, then go home and make fun of the experience with her friends. She’s getting caught up though. She’s insecure, tired, and this Harry girl still hasn’t shown a single flaw. They’re great friends now though, often laughing at the ridiculousness of the show together. It was supposed to be easy, until Harry dropped a bomb on her.

“I’m bi,” Harry confesses in the girls’ bedroom, surrounded by mounted cameras and the seemingly invisible crew. “I’m also the worst secret keeper.”

The crew goes silent and so does Louis. She’s known Harry less than a month now, and this isn’t the kind of secret you tell just anyone- especially not on national television. Louis ignores that aspect in favor of comforting Harry.

“Alright, um, okay,” Louis shifts to hug Harry, the two of them sat on the bedroom floor. Harry begins to cry, her brown hair becoming messy and coated in snot. “That’s great, I’m really glad you trusted me and told me.” This was really out of the blue. They were friends, sure, probably the best friends on the show, but they weren’t that close. Not like this.

“I was 10,” Harry started, her words muffled by tears. “There were some boys on the playground at my school and they were surrounding this other boy, calling him terrible names and probably hurting him. He was flamboyant, he was himself. I told myself I never wanted to be like him. I never wanted to be hurt for being myself.” Suddenly Louis’ crying too, relating so strongly to this story but not being able to say so. “So I hid. I didn’t let people hurt me, but I didn’t let myself be me.” Harry fiddles with her rings, nervous about what the crew will say, what Louis will say.

\-----

That night, Louis takes Harry to the storage shed. Louis spills everything. She tells Harry about being a lesbian, how she ended up on the show, and how she’s totally freaked out. “I don’t know what to do, I thought it was going to be easy,” Louis’ voice is shaky. “I mean, like, I’m a lesbian on the straightest show on the planet. I was so stupid to come onto the show.” There’s a pause, and suddenly the tiny shed feels even smaller. Harry’s twisting her rings again, and the subtle motion is the only movement in the room. Both of their hearts are on their sleeves, all of their cards are on the table. Louis’ eyes flicker downwards to Harry’s lips, looking for some sort of sign. Harry leans forward, and Louis finally closes the gap.

The kiss is sweet. It’s short, just long enough for Louis to want more, more, more. It’s a nice slice of reality in the fake world she’s been living in for the past month. “H,” Louis starts, Harry preening at the nickname. “What are we gonna do?”

“I don’t know,” Harry responds. “But I’m the worst at keeping secrets.”

\-----

Louis and Harry get called into some kind of pseudo-meeting. They’re nervous, wondering how someone could have figured them out; Louis thought she had been so careful with everything. They sit down at a table across from the producers. This is one of the few times there’s no cameras on them, besides in the shed. This is serious; this is bad.

“Louis, Harry,” the executive producer nods at both of them. “We’ve discovered something… interesting… about you two.”

Oh god, Louis thinks. This can’t be happening. She’s gonna get kicked off the show and be humiliated. She’s not even going to get her money. Harry- Harry’s going to hate her. Beautiful, smart, kind Harry is going to hate Louis for getting her kicked off of the show. All Louis wants is Harry. Everyone’s going to think that she’s a terrible person. She’s already survived four rose ceremonies, stealing the spot from girls much more deserving than her. Everyone is going to hate her. Harry is going to hate her.

“It’s the viewers,” the producer continues. “Ever since Harry, you know, said that thing-”

“That she’s bisexual?” Louis condescendingly interrupts.

“Yeah, that. Ever since she said that, the fans have made it pretty clear who they want to see together on the show.”

Louis’ heart drops to her stomach. Of course people would want to see Harry and the Bachelor together. Her confession made her that much more adored by fans. Louis’ doomed. Obviously she was living in a dream, thinking her and Harry could be together.

“They want to see you two together.”

\-----

Even after an hour of debriefing, it’s still pretty shocking. Louis and Harry were told that they have to pretend to like each other, pretend to be in a relationship. Of course, they don’t really have to pretend.

The contingency addition added a  _ lot _ of money to both of their contracts. They both signed without hesitation. They would get to be together on the show, and go home with a lot more money than they had planned. It was a win-win, and nobody knew it.

Louis wanted to throw herself into it. She wanted the whole world to know about the two bachelorettes who fell in love in hopeless circumstances. Harry disagreed.

“It’s gonna seem fake,” Harry suggested. “People are going to think that we’re not really together-”

“But we are,” Louis pointed out.

“I know that, and you know that, but nobody else knows that. We have to take it slow. Just because they gave us permission to go crazy doesn’t mean we have to. It doesn’t mean we should.”

“That’s ridiculous. You just got the green light and you still want to hide? You honestly still want to hide like you did when you were 10?”

That one hurt. Louis realized she went too far, but it was too late. Harry already stormed to the secret shed. Louis knew better than to follow her there.

\-----

Harry finally returns to the girls’ bedroom to look for Louis. When she finds her, she twists the rings around her fingers and starts, “I’m-”

“I’m-” Louis says at the same time. They both laugh nervously and Louis gestures for Harry to speak.

“I’m sorry I overreacted. I was upset and honestly a little scared. I took it out on you and I’m sorry.” They’re both careful with their words, knowing they have mics and cameras all around them.

“You didn’t overreact. I crossed a line because I was mad. There’s never a good reason to be mean, to make personal attacks,” Louis replies.

\-----

They make up by making out in the shed, and finally discuss what to do on the show.

“I think you were right about taking it slow. I would never want to push you to do something you don’t want to do, whether it’s real or pretend. Let’s go slow.” Louis stands up- still crouching in the small shed- and reaches her hand out to Harry to help her up too.

They’re back in the bedroom and are painting their nails when Harry leaps from her place on the carpet and knocks over a bottle of light blue Sally Hansen. She yanks Louis to her feet as well, saying “Whatever.” She’s done hiding, she doesn’t want to go slow. She presses her lips to Louis’ before turning to smile at the camera in the corner of the room. She was always the worst at keeping secrets.


End file.
